Indigo Fire*
by SilverPhoenixWings
Summary: The Maurauders and their gaggle of friends are back; destined to get in loads of trouble. Their antics will find them in detention more than once, while their pride may faulter more than twice. Is it true that Sirius Black has a SISTER? Find out...
1. Of Laughter, Larceny, and Little Girls

Indigo Fire*  
SilverPhoenixWings 

**Invocation of the Muse:**

The voice that spreads from my lips,  
is not mine to begin with.   
It comes from a distant place.  
One far from this earth.  
It is carried to this world,  
And whispered into my ear   
at night.  
This voice is not mine.  
It develops from sweet nothings,  
sung from moonlight,  
Dancing over darkness,  
And filling my head.  
The words are not mine,  
for they have been said before.  
My ideas float on wings,  
Gliding to this world like a feather,  
Falling in the wind.  
My heart is filled with idle words,  
Waiting to be molded.  
All the words are there,  
But inspiration shapes them.

**Prologue:**

                _The room was empty; lifeless, and not so much as a dust bunny fell. The atmosphere was constant tension, even when safety was ensured. Each and every article of importance was a prisoner behind a wall of glass; enchanted a hundred times over. The room was dimmed, and the lighting from inside of the cases gave it a feeling of high stature. Children were not allowed to set foot in here. Even though the artifacts were secure behind glass, wards, and guards at every exit, there was still a lurking fear that a five-year-old could undo ten years' work of fully trained wizards and let something priceless fall to a quick and painless death by shattering on the concrete floor._

            This was life at the British National Museum of Magical Artifacts. The guards and on-duty Aurors strolled the premises on constant alert for things gone wry. A tall young man with a goatee growing in nodded curtly to a weather-beaten, dilapidated, spalagidated hag entering the red room. Her one good eye, the left, winked its thanks at the guard and looked into the room. The hag hobbled over to the Mermish case and stood, hunched over for hours in front of the display, just looking. Her feathery gray hair flew out from under her sleepy pointed hat at odd directions, but for the most part, she appeared a normal patron of the Museum. The guards found her stance a bit peculiar, but paid her no heed.

At closing, the old hag hobbled out onto the quiet avenue outside of the museum. Taking a piece of parchment and an inkless quill out of the infinite folds of her robes, the hag sat down on a bench and began to draw a perfect blue print of the Mermish case. As her left hand scribbled over the page, her sleeve shifted in the wind. If someone had cared to pass by at that moment and look, they might have seen a serpent tongue sneering at them.

**Of Laughter, Larceny, and****Little Girls**

The Alley was filled with students, parents, and patrons. Vendors pushed carts through the bustling crowds, and the morning sun began to peek over the rooftops. Time seemed to freeze for a moment as a group of voices rang out.

"We're off to see the wizard; the wonderful wizard of Oz." Three girls skipped down the cobble-stoned streets; arms linked and smiling. People moved aside in fear for the safety of their purchases, and the girls continued to sing until someone stepped in their way.

Cleary the leader of this insanity, a very pretty girl with brown hair and greenish eyes walked forward and tapped the boy on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir, but you seem to be blocking our way." She said, keeping her voice level. The boy turned to face her, and vivid blue eyes pierced her own.

"Yes?" The boy asked, crossing his arms.

"We'd like you to move." The girl continued, trying to keep the anger away.

"Fine." The boy said, coming to an accord surprisingly fast. The girl smiled back at her friends and motioned them forward. The insanity seemed to have passed, because the three girls walked calmly down the streets of Diagon Alley. 

~*~

A short eleven year-old girl with black hair and pale skin walked through the Alley alone. Her ebony hair was the color of a dark, moonless night and her skin shimmered with slight iridescence. Her small build left the impression of constant frailty, even though there was very little. The girl's eyes were like ice-blown sapphires, turned and turned through the decades, set into place with a gentle touch and carefully glazed over with every blink. 

Her name was Adelyn, and she was left to do her school shopping alone. With only enough money to buy her supplies, Adelyn wandered through Diagon Alley. Occasionally she would stop to look at a prize broomstick or pet a stray cat. Adelyn kept to herself.

Adelyn lived with her older brother, but he was always away at the school she'd be attending this year. It'd be different now, right? For once in her life, she wouldn't have to worry about where tomorrow's dinner was coming from or when the Social Services lady was going to bring the check.

Adelyn sighed and stepped up to a formidable looking building with dusty windows and a sign that said "Ollivander's." This would be a lot easier if her brother were here, but Merlin only knew where he was. Adelyn pulled open the door (with great effort) and stepped inside, squeaking when the door slammed behind her.

"Excuse me?" Adelyn called into the darkness behind a counter. She walked up and stood on her tiptoes, trying to peer over. It was failing miserably when a head popped up from behind the counter, causing Adelyn to falter backwards.

"Ah! A first year. You'll be needing a wand." The emerging man declared; his white hair flying in odd directions. He looked nice enough, Adelyn concluded.

"Yes sir." Adelyn said quietly, putting four galleons on the counter. "That's all I have, sir." The man smiled warmly at her and drifted off into the blackness. When he returned, his arms held numerous boxes.

"Here are our used wands, dear." The man said, pulling out the first one. He handed it to Adelyn. She waved it, causing dust to fly out from the end. "Not this one." The man said, tucking it back in its box. He pulled out another one.

"Ash, nine inches, made from a dragon heartstring." The man said. Adelyn took the wand and waved it. A pile of books fell on the floor. "Nope." The man said quickly, taking it back. 

After trying the whole pile of boxes and wands, Adelyn finally saw the last box emerge. The man looked at it in curiosity and pulled out the wand, handling it very carefully. He handed it to her without an introduction. 

Adelyn bit her lip and waved the wand. Almost immediately, warmth filled her left arm and side. The wand emitted gold sparks. Adelyn smiled victoriously. Her smile dropped as she saw the anguished look on the man's face.

"What is it?" Adelyn asked, setting the wand down.

"Nothing." The man said, forcing a smile. "There's your wand. It belonged to Esmerelda VonPatten. It's a good wand." He said, pushing her money back to her. "Go on, you can have it." He said, handing her the box. "Take care of it." Adelyn nodded her thanks; still very confused, and left the wand shop. 

"Be careful, little girl." The man warned under his breath after Adelyn left. "Only danger can follow."

~ * ~

The Ice Cream Parlor was crowded, but Callie finally managed to find a place for her friends and herself to sit. Callie was staying at the Leaky Cauldron, and pretty much sick of the food there. So, the group had opted to eat here.

"Erg." Liane said, scrunching down low in her chair. Callie noticed that the Diggory family had arrived. Amos, the older brother, had graduated two years ago. Arnold, however, was a sixth year and madly in love with Liane. It was a summer development after she said 'hi' to him at a Quidditch game. Now Arnold followed her around 'like a sick puppy'. 

James and Sirius sputtered ice cream and looked over at the Hufflepuff. Their faces broke out into identical smirks. Liane tried to stop them, but it was too late.

"Hey, Arnie boy!" James called. "Come sit with us. Our treat!" Liane wanted to die. She wanted to murder James Potter and die. Burying her face in her hands, Liane muffled a scream. James was oblivious.

"Hey guys." Arnold said, sitting in between James and Sirius. Liane kicked James, hard, under the table.

"Hey Arnold." Lily said, squeezing James' hand. They'd been going out for a while now and basically were inseparable. 

"Yeah, hey." Callie said, nudging Liane. Liane muttered 'hey'. 

"What have you been doing this summer?" Remus asked, taking a sip of his strawberry-peanut butter milkshake. His sandy blond hair fell into his face, and he was looking well for once. Callie smiled.

"Oh…not much." Arnold said, shrugging. "Just messing around with broomsticks. I've been working over at QQS." James' eyes lit up.

"Really? That's so cool. How'd you get a job there?" he asked, letting the waitress refill his mint-flavored soda. The waitress pulled out a pad and a quill.

"You ready to order, darlin'?" She asked Arnold. 

"Sure. I'd like a frazzleberry sundae with two cherries on top." Arnold said. The waitress nodded and walked off, muttering something about picky teenagers. 'One cherry isn't good enough…has to have two.'

"Anyway…the store." Jen reminded him. Arnold nodded.

"Right…I got the job in June because my brother had to stop working there. They needed a replacement, and I was key for the job." Arnold said, smiling. His brownish blond hair dusted his eyebrows, and constantly had to be pushed back. Liane remained silent. 

"I was looking for a job around that time." Lily said. "Liane and I looked together. She couldn't find one, though." Liane mentally cursed Lily for drawing attention to her.

"Um…yeah, well…" Liane said. 

"Did you ever find one?" Arnold asked, moving aside a bit so that James and Lily could leave. Liane shook her head.

"Nope."

"Oh…well…maybe I could get you a job?" Arnold suggested. Liane shook her head again. Callie dropped her spoon and she and Jen ran off to find a waitress to get another. 

"I don't think so. It's almost time for school anyway." Liane said quickly, frowning deeply as she found that Sirius and Remus had escaped to spy on Lily and James. Liane and Arnold were completely alone. 

"Well, I'll find out about next summer." Arnold said, not noticing the absence of six people. 

"Um…sure." Liane said. She looked around. "Where'd they all go?" She asked. She knew…and they'd all die for it too.

"I don't know." Arnold said, noting the empty chairs for the first time. Liane got up and walked toward the door. "I'll see you at school!" Arnold called after her retreating figure.

~ * ~

Liane found Sirius eating a sugar quill and watching James and Lily kiss on a park bench. Liane kicked him, hard.

"What?" Sirius hissed, ducking out of sight of his two engrossed friends.

"You frazzleberry!" Liane hissed back. Sirius raised an eyebrow. 

"It was the worst thing I could think of off the top of my head." She told him. Sirius pulled her to the ground behind a trashcan and hushed her.

"Be quiet! You'll ruin it." He said, pointing. Liane crinkled her nose.

"This is your idea of fun? You're sick." Liane declared, starting to stand up. Sirius pulled her back down.

"Come off it. Remus is behind those bushes over there." He said, pointing to a group of bushes behind the bench.

"So?"

"So…we put it on their ice cream." Sirius whispered. Liane watched in confusion while James and Lily continued to kiss. After a few minutes, Lily started to pull away. Except, she couldn't. 

"You didn't!" Liane whispered in amazement.

"We did. Grafflegart's All-Purpose Glue." Sirius whispered, stifling laughter. James (and Lily…in a way) was looking around frantically. He couldn't quite say anything for obvious reasons.

Sirius stood up, and Liane followed suite. Remus rolled out of the bushes, laughing hysterically.

"I guess you're stuck with her." Liane shrugged. Sirius laughed even harder. James pulled his wand, but couldn't say anything to help his situation. Too bad for them it was at this moment that Katie Bird, a snooty sixth-year Ravenclaw chose to walk by. She saw James and Lily's predicament and grimaced in disgust.

"Oh my gosh…get a room!" She said, muttering an Ungluing Charm. James' eyes flared and he rushed at Sirius, who darted off. Lily blushed furiously and sat down on the bench. 

~ * ~

A man in a dark cloak walked through Diagon Alley, muttering under his breath. In his hand was clutched the Daily Prophet. The article was crinkled over and over, but yet still there.

MUSEUM ROBBED By: Marvin Mibbs 

_On Friday night at 9:00, the British National Museum of Magical Artifacts was robbed. This was just before closing, but no one was seen. When asked if their security was getting lax, the museum curator slammed the door in this reporter's face._

_The curator would not tell us what was missing, but reliable sources say that the Mermish display case is missing an item. Since no one really pays attention to boring Mermish stuff, no one knows which item._

The man laughed softly to himself, but knew better. The Aurors knew. The Aurors always know. Someone didn't want the information getting out. Someone wanted it kept secret. This just went to confirm His suspicions. In just a few short days, the world would be in His control. The man shook his head. Pathetic fools. No one can conquer Him. The man scuttled off to take It to his boss. 

As he turned the corner, a stone fell out of his pocket. The man did not notice and continued on. A small, frail-looking girl stepped out of the shadows and picked up the stone, looking to call after the man. But he was gone. She tucked the stone in her pocket without a second thought. 

~ * ~

Sirius and Liane did their shopping for books together. Lily and James weren't speaking to them, and Remus had escaped to the robe shop. 'He needed new robes' Sirius thought.

"This is ridiculous." Liane said, looking at their book list. "I can't believe we have to read all of these!" It was true. There were twelve books listed on the required books.

"Stop complaining and get your books." Sirius said, uncharacteristically. Liane raised an eyebrow, but conceded and did as she was told. 

"Sirius?" Liane called. Sirius was right beside her, but staring off into space it seemed. Liane followed his eyes to a pretty girl with long black hair and blue eyes. Ah. That explains it. "Earth to lover-boy." Liane said, tapping his shoulder. Sirius snapped out of it and laughed.

"Ready?" He asked. Liane decided not to press the matter further and nodded.

"Let's go pay." She suggested. At the counter, they each paid three galleons for their set of books. 

~ * ~

After they got their books, it was almost dark. The group was all going to stay at James' mansion for the next week. Callie had been staying at the Leaky Cauldron, but she'd be heading over there as well. Peter was AWOL, and Sirius had been staying over there all summer anyway. It was a good plan.

The group was going to stay in Diagon Alley until after dinner, when they would Floo back to the Potters' mansion. Liane supposed Jen was helping Callie get her things. Sirius put out his arm in a snazzy sort of parody of a "gentleman". Liane laughed and accepted it, and they walked in the nearby park. 

"I don't fancy staying in a room with James tonight. Not after what happened. It was most unfortunate that Katie had to see. James had a crush on her back in third year." Sirius babbled. Liane nodded and laughed in all the right places. Her mind was wandering. She was thinking about how best to get her friends back for ditching her with Arnold. Grr.

"Really?" Liane asked.

"Yep. And then Elsa, Sierra, and Roni…" Sirius continued, naming off James' love interests. Liane wondered why he paid so much attention. "I reckon he liked every girl at Hogwarts at one time. Or they liked him."

"I never liked him." Liane said, nudging Sirius lightly on the shoulder. He grinned and pushed his black hair out of his eyes.

"He liked you, though. Back in fourth year. Until he saw Cammi…but that was short-lived." Sirius said. Liane giggled.

"I'm so very glad. That girl is wretched! She dumped Aconite all over me in Potions in second year. Ergh." Liane shook her head.

"I'm surprised he's stayed with Lily this long." Sirius said, smirking as they passed The Bench. "I guess they're meant to be."

"Yep." Liane agreed. "And what about you?"

"I don't know. I really like Emily. It's just…harder now." Sirius said, his voice softening. 

"I know."

"And I feel guilty."

"She understands, Sirius." Liane assured him.

"But does she? It's hard liking someone that's not alive. I wish we could just be friends." Sirius admitted. Liane nodded.

"It's hard for her, too. She calls it an 'emptiness.'" Liane told him. 

"Liane." Sirius stopped, and turned to her. "You can't tell her. I have to tell her myself."

"I don't want to get in between you guys anyway." Liane said.

"Promise me." Sirius demanded.

"Fine, I promise." Liane said.

An awkward silence passed between them, and Liane looked up at the sky. It was dark, and a starry blanket had spread over it.

"Let's go." Sirius muttered. Liane nodded, and they walked back to meet the group. 

~ * ~

That evening, the group ate at a restaurant in Diagon Alley called Centaur Bend. Mr. Potter was a patron of the restaurant, so the manager let them in with nothing more than a hiss to 'keep it down.' 

The seven friends sat in a corner booth, and tried to keep their laughter down.

"And two oranges were sitting on a fence, swinging their legs…" Sirius began. "And the punch line is: Oranges don't have legs!" Sirius started laughing hysterically, as did James. Lily giggled, and Remus smirked. The laughter was contagious, and eventually the whole table was laughing. 

"What would you like to eat, sir?" A waiter asked James. James looked at his friends, and back at the waiter.

"We'd like the hippogriff platter." James said factually. When the waiter left, Callie raised an eyebrow.

"Hippogriff, James? Isn't it illegal to eat hippogriff?" 

"Callie, _dear, _we aren't eating a hippogriff. The platter is so called because it has enough food to feed a hippogriff." James said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, Cal-lie!" Sirius teased. She kicked him under the table and slipped her hand into Remus'. Jen sighed and suddenly felt all alone. 

Getting up without much ado, Jen slipped out of the restaurant and went for a walk. She stepped out into the night, and looked at a little creek that ran behind the Centaur Bend. Humming to herself and skipping a rock, Jen didn't notice the footsteps behind her…

~ * ~

That night, the Potter's mansion was bustling with excitement. Emily had Flooed over from Hogwarts, and Peter had returned. The whole third floor was given over to the gang, and it was a scene.

There was a huge pillow fight between the guys and the girls. Emily was refereeing. Pillows zoomed around like mad, some enchanted and some not. 

"James!" Liane screamed after James bashed her with an enlarged pillow. It came at her back at full blast, sending her flying into Sirius. Then, she got slaughtered by Sirius as well. It was amusing.

"Erg! I give up!" Lily said after being hit nine consecutive times. 

"And we take prisoners!" James said, pulling her into a deep kiss. The events of the afternoon lay forgotten and the glue had worn off. Lily giggled.

Five minutes later, the nine teenagers lay in an exhausted heap in James' room. Feathers flew in different directions, depending on who breathed. 

"We win." Callie said weakly, falling back on Remus' shoulder. He patted her head without protest. 

"Peter, buddy, you aren't supposed to nail your own teammates." Sirius said as an afterthought. Peter shrugged.

A few minutes later, the group had split up. Lily and James had snuck off to kiss somewhere, and Callie and Remus went for a walk through the gardens. Jen had gone to bed early, to everyone's shock. Peter and Liane ran after James and Lily, with the infamous Grafflegart's Glue in hand.

Sirius and Emily were alone.

"How's your summer been, Sirius?" Emily asked. Sirius smiled and shrugged, a bit distracted. "Mine was boring. The Bloody Baron snores, you know." Emily laughed, but quickly stopped when Sirius was unamused.

"Emily…are you okay?" Sirius asked, quietly.

"Of course I'm okay." Emily chirped, doing the Egyptian.

"No, I mean…okay with us?" Emily's hands dropped and she frowned. 

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…it's hard." Sirius said, not meaning what he said and not knowing what he meant.

"Sure it's hard." Emily sighed and into her eyes came a look of understanding. "Are you tired of me, Black?" 

"No…it isn't that…it's just that..." Sirius stuttered.

"If you want to dump me, just say so!" Emily said loudly.

"It's not like that!" Sirius matched her volume. With a glare to kill, Emily turned on her heel and fled from the room. 'Damn…I think I was just dumped by a ghost!' Sirius realized

~ * ~

"You LOST it?" He demanded, pushing his chair back and standing up. He strode to the window of a high tower, looking out at the fields. "You lost it and you _dare_ come back to face me?" 

"I'm sorry, my Lord." The servant stuttered. "I'm s-sorry."

"Where?" He demanded lowly. His voice dripped with malice, and the word hung like an icicle in the air.

"Diagon Alley, sir." The servant said quietly, wincing.

"Insolent fool!" He roared, turning around, wand in hand.

"No! N-no!" The servant fell on his knees, stumbling over to kiss the hems of his master's robes.

"Spare me." His eyes flashed and he muttered the words, kicking over his servant's now lifeless body. 

~ * ~

Author's note: I hope you guys liked this chapter. This is about six months' worth of work. This is the third draft of this story. Let's hope this time it works, eh? Thank you to Harmony Slytherin for being my beta on such sort notice. You rock, girlie! Hopefully it will not take so long for chapter two to come out. Next chapter: Train ride and the Sorting. We'll find out more about those footsteps when Jen was outside. Arnie boy will make another appearance. The Marauders will have some fun with the hook-nosed Slytherin we love to hate!

  
  



	2. Of Train Rides, Raindrops, and Dusty Hat...

Indigo Fire* 

_SilverPhoenixWings_

One Thousand Suns 

But breathing yet while she still doth burn,

The deathless Daughter of the sun!

Slowly to crimson embers turn

The beauties of the brightsome one;

O'er the broad nest her silver wings

Shook down their wasteful glitterings;

Of Train Rides, Raindrops, and Dusty Hats 

Saturday was a frazzled day for the people in the Potter house. Emily wasn't talking to Sirius**,** and Sirius wasn't talking to Liane**,** and Jen wasn't talking to anyone. James wanted Lily to talk to Emily, but she flat out refused. Callie had Aisling in a cage, but the phoenix was not happy about it. 

"Callie! Get your stupid bird out of my way!" Sirius said huffily. 

"She's not stupid!" Callie's voice came from upstairs. In half a moment, Callie's head popped out from around the corner and glared at Sirius. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and her trunk floated behind her. She hurried down the stairs and grabbed the cage as her trunk followed her. With a smack it bonked Sirius in the head. He growled and ducked on the second go, tugging his trunk down the stairs. He didn't know what kind of charm she had on hers, but he needed one too.

"Someone get Jen**,**" Lily said, sticking her head inside the front door. She held out an envelope. "She has mail."

"What do I look like, a bellhop?" Sirius asked, lugging his suitcase down the last three steps with a thunk at the bottom. Lily laughed and didn't dare mention that, yes, he did look like a bellhop.

"Please?" Lily asked, giving him a puppy-dog-eyed look. Sirius turned on his heel and huffily went to get Jen, muttering something about "girls!"

Jen came down the stairs a few minutes later, carrying her trunk with no trouble at all. She seemed distant and quiet, but Lily didn't say anything. If Jen was upset, she needed to be left alone.

"You have mail, dearie**,**" Lily said, handing her the envelope. Jen looked thoughtful and took it, breaking the seal and opening it carefully. She read through it twice and gave a squeak, shoving the letter in her pocket. Smiling, Jen slipped by Lily and Summoned her trunk to follow.

"That was amusing." Sirius said from the top of the stairs. He looked after Jen in confusion, and hopped down the steps three at a time. Lily giggled and shut the door, turning back outside.  

In a huff and a large pile, the gang arrived at the barrier to Platform 9 ¾. Surely Muggles noticed the loud, unruly antics of four extremely hyper boys and several girls of the same sort. Callie giggled as James levitated his trunk, but Lily quickly pointed out that they were still in plain view of muggles.

Once through the barrier, all Hell broke loose. Several dung bombs flew in several different directions**,** and a group of Slytherins picked a fight immediately. Lily pulled out of the melee and threw her trunk in a compartment, claiming it as theirs.

"Lily! It's brutal out there!" Callie said, running in and hurrying to the window. She threw some protective spells at Remus, but basically minded her own business. Aisling squawked nosily in her cage.

Several minutes later, Liane and Jen entered the compartment, followed shortly by Emily. Liane's hair was frazzled and Jen seemed to be nursing a broken wrist. Lily winced.

"D*mn Slytherin _stepped _on me!" Jen said in defense. Liane nodded, and growled.

"Bloody Slytherins…can't leave anyone alone." Liane pushed Callie out of the way and looked out. Callie harrumphed and pushed back.

James appeared to be taking two of the bigger ones, but Sirius was fighting with a seventh year and a particularly ornery owl. Lily couldn't help but giggle. Peter had whipped out his wand and appeared to be resorting to meager Tickling Charms. That only pissed the Slytherins off more. Remus seemed to be checking _Hogwarts' Under the Table Guide of Fighting_ for pointers. 

Lily pulled the girls away from the window and pulled down the shade, looking pointedly at the four. Her green eyes flashed with anger and she put her hands on her hips.

"We will NOT support this fighting nonsense. You all will stay here. I will be back in two minutes." Lily stormed out of the compartment. As soon as the door slid shut, all four girls stumbled towards the window for a better look.

Once Lily got outside, she appeared to be having a screaming match with everyone. She pulled out her wand and muttered a spell, sending the ten boys to their respective splotches of platform.

"-An example for the younger-"

Callie shot a glance at Jen who laughed.

"-No self-respect-"

Emily laughed as Sirius turned bright red.

"-Not a shred of common sense-"

Lily glanced at their window and gave a 'cut-it-out' signal. Callie pulled down the shade and sat, quite miffed, with her arms crossed. Two minutes later, Lily opened the door to the compartment right on cue, followed by four downcast sets of eyes. 

"Honestly!" Lily said, throwing up her arms.

"Lily, they started it!" James protested. Lily shot him a death glare. 

"James- hush**.**" Sirius suggested. 

And so he did. In fact, everyone sat in silence until the train began to move. A few minutes later, the snack trolley rolled by. Everyone lunged at the idea of food. Even Lily had a go at a chocolate frog or two. 

After the quick meal, most of the tension had slipped away. Jen stepped out of the compartment for a while. Liane engaged herself in a game of Wizard's Chess with Remus while Callie watched. Lily pulled out her History of Magic essay to add a few last minute citations. James and Sirius had been given strict orders to "stay put or else" and did not dare go in search of friends. They played a couple quick games of Exploding Snap and looked at a few Quidditch magazines. 

James was halfway through _Quidditch Weekly_ when the lights went out. The train lurched to a halt and there were screams from up the train. Lily, quick on her feet, whipped out her wand and said "Lumos."

"What the heck?" Liane asked, standing up. 

"I don't know." Lily said, peering out of the compartment into the hall. A moment later, though, the train started moving. Liane was thrown into Sirius' lap, and Lily cursed the door for banging her in the ear.

"Want me to go see?" Emily asked. Lily shook her head and sat down.

"If it's important, they'll tell us at school." 

The finality of Lily's words brought on a somber mood, worsened by the rain that came as soon as they passed Stratford. Even Aisling felt it, and was quieted. The rain splashed hard against the window; pitter**-**patter, pitter**-**patter. It was a gloomy sort of time. The sky had darkened and even the fields seemed to slump. 

The group began a cycle that would last the rest of the ride. One person would go to the loo and change into their uniform, returning with some bit of news or another. Mostly just rumors and things.

"Fred Hunter said that the teachers will all be at Hogsmeade because of the scare**,**" Liane reported. 

The cycle ended just as the train lurched into Hogsmeade. 

The village was sleeping in the rain. Lily led the way off the train and flashed her Prefect's badge at Callie, smirking. James and Remus had them too. Callie smiled for Lily, but couldn't help feeling left out. Liane yanked her to a carriage, muttering something about a desire for drowning. 

"Where's Jen?" Emily asked, floating in the carriage. Liane shrugged and looked around. Callie tried to remember the last time they had seen her. It wasn't fun to realize you had misplaced a friend.

"Dun' know**,**" Liane announced at last after having looked under the pillow. A rap at the carriage door made them jump. Liane pushed it open. The rain seeped in as her heart fell. Arnold.

"Can I join you ladies?" Arnold asked, smiling at Liane. Callie winced as Emily motioned him in. Arnold shut the door behind him and sat next to Liane. She suddenly realized how small these d*mn carriages actually were.

"It's brutal out there**,**" Callie said, setting Aisling's cage on her lap. The indigo bird was dripping with water, looking quite miffed. Emily's eyes lingered on the bird for a minute or two, remembering…

"Yeah**,**" Arnold said. Liane avoided his eyes. She thanked the heavens when the carriage lurched to a stop. She hopped out first, running up the castle steps with the hoards of other students.

Once inside the Great Hall, Liane performed a Drying Charm on herself and some second years nearby**.** She walked to the Gryffindor table and reserved nine places**,** sitting in one of them.

Five minutes later, most of the Great Hall was filled and the girls had come to sit. Unfortunately for everyone in the hall, the boys were nowhere in sight. Lily sighed and banged her head on the table, wondering what prank they had decided to pull.

Just then, the doors to the Great Hall swung open and the group of first years filed in. McGonagall was leading, as always. She led them to a stop in front of the stool in the center of the Hall, holding a tattered hat. 

McGonagall unrolled her scroll and called out each student's name.

"Abbot, Bradford**.**"

HUFFLEPUFF!

The blond boy waddled to the Hufflepuff table. The hat sorted a very tall boy into Ravenclaw before McGonagall called:

"Black, Adelyn**.**" A very pale girl with dark hair stepped forward, and most everyone was leaning to get a look. Lily gasped. At that moment, the doors to the hall flung open and Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter all walked in**,** precariously balancing fine china on their heads. They sang a bit of "I'm a Little Teapot" before Sirius' eyes fell on Adelyn. All of his china came clattering to the floor. He swore quite loudly and ran out of the hall. James looked around and ran after him, still balancing the china on his head. 

Adelyn had tears streaming down her cheeks and she looked very much like she'd rather be anywhere else in the world instead of standing in front of the whole school. Bravely, Adelyn stepped forward and sat on the stool, pulling on the hat. The hat remained silent for almost six minutes before yelling**-**

"SLYTHERIN!" A simultaneous gasp of shock spread through the hall. There was no present doubt that this girl was Sirius Black's sister, even though they all had thought he was an only child. Black's sister…a _Slytherin_. 

((A/N: I could be evil and end the chapter here…but I won't be. However, we will end this part…The next bit takes a different tone.))

~*~

_Part Two*_

_SilverPhoenixWings_

**Song**

I shall not see the shadows,

I shall not feel the rain;

I shall not hear the nightingale

Sing on, as if in pain;

And dreaming through the twilight

That doth not rise nor set,

Haply I may remember,

And haply may forget.

After "Zabini, Melvin," was sorted, Professor McGonagall took the stool and hat away. Dumbledore rose from his seat at the teacher's table. He looked out at the students, all very much still in shock from the events. Stroking his white beard thoughtfully, Dumbledore peered over his half-moon spectacles.

"Students, welcome, to another year at Hogwarts. I hope you will find the food filling, the friends kind, and the memories wonderful. Our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has kindly requested that you be quiet**,**" Dumbledore chuckled. "I suppose it'll do if you don't scream at the top of your lungs to your friend right next to you. Now, the forest on the grounds is strictly forbidden. And**,** with that, happy eating!"

Dumbledore spread his hands and every plate in the hall filled with food. His eyes fell on the Gryffindor table. James Potter and Sirius Black were still missing. Dumbledore sighed sadly. Somehow, Sirius would have to come to terms with his past.

A pang went through Jen's heart. They hadn't even noted her absence. She watched as Liane and Callie laughed over some joke, wondering silently if they even knew she had been gone since the train ride. Jen bit her lip, and looked down at her food. It tasted so much better at the Gryffindor table.

James looked at Sirius, scrunching his nose. His best friend looked miserable. A dozen empty bottles of Butterbeer rolled across the common room floor, and Sirius burped.

"Padfoot, you can't get drunk on Butterbeer**,**" James said, putting a hand on his friend**'**s shoulder. Sirius leaned his head back on the couch and groaned. He took a long, dramatic swig from the bottle in his hand.

"Shut up, Prongs**,**" Sirius said half-heartedly. James sighed. They hadn't even talked about Adelyn. Sirius had just gone to the statue without the cloak or anything. James had to follow. They were best friends, after all.

But even being best friends hadn't readied him for this. James had never known that Sirius had a sister. He had never spoken about any of his family. Of course James knew that Sirius' mother had died and his father abandoned him. But never had James imagined that there was more to the story. Just when you think you know a person…

Lily looked over to the Slytherin table, wondering silently if the little girl was okay. Without saying anything to her friends, Lily got up and walked across the Hall. She spotted Adelyn and approached her.

"Adelyn?" Lily asked gently, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. She squatted to be eye-level with the first year. 

"Yeah?" The little girl squeaked. Lily noticed her food was untouched and her cheeks were stained from tears. The nearby Slytherins watched Lily with a mix of interest and disgust.

"Are you okay, dear?" Lily asked, pulling herself up to sit on the bench alongside the girl. "I mean, after all of that?"

The Slytherin fell silent.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lily probed.

"Was that boy my brother?" Adelyn asked quietly. Lily was stunned for a moment but quickly regained her composure.

"Yeah, it was, sweetie. Let's go find somewhere to talk." Taking the eleven-year-old by the hand, Lily led the way from the Hall. 

"Remind me again why Lily just led a Slytherin out of the Hall**,**" Liane said to Callie. Callie shrugged.

"Because she's a nice, considerate person."

"Sly-ther-in…" Liane annunciated, trying to make Callie see her point. Callie shook her head.

"Li-ly Ev-ans!" Callie retorted.

"No one has any right to be nice to a Slytherin**,**" Herbert Bergen, a fourth year, chipped in.

"That's so horrid!" Callie declared.

"Callie, what he means is…an eye for an eye. They're never nice to us**,**" Liane said. Callie shook her head again, signaling that the conversation was closed. Liane watched as her friend pulled out her wand, muttering something and giving it a quick wave. "Callie what are you doing? It's the first night."

"Tracking down James**,**" Callie answered simply, watching a small box float through the doors and to her.

"How?" Liane demanded, surprised.

"It's a trick we rigged up when we were going out**,**" Callie told her, opening the box. The box itself was made of a shiny black hardwood, and the latch was in the shape of antlers, intertwined. Callie lifted her wand to the latch and whispered what Liane assumed to be a password.

Callie opened the box to display a small piece of parchment. Callie took a miniature quill out of a holder beside where the parchment had lain. It seemed to not need ink, because she swiftly wrote on the parchment, _"Where is James?"_ Again, Callie lifted her wand to the parchment. "_Responsium!"_ She said aloud, causing some nearby first-years to look at her with wide-eyes. On the parchment, an answer formed. "_Gryffindor Common Room_." Callie tucked the parchment away and latched the box, Banishing it to wherever it had been before she called it.

"Well, are we going or not?" Liane demanded, looking over her friend's shoulder. 

"No. Quite the contrary. There are five Gryffindor Prefects. Two are indisposed of, one is our friend. We have to talk to the other two. It seems we shall be taking the students on a little tour tonight**,**" Callie said, grinning mischievously. Liane caught on, and looked down the table.

"Well, it's worth a try. Dinner'll be over soon. Let's go now, before we're dismissed. Wait a second, Callie…they'll never agree to that. Last year, there was a prank during the tour. That'll be bound to arouse suspicion**.**" Liane reasoned.

"Then I can only see one other option. We've got to get the Fat Lady drunk."

Lily handed the girl her cloak as the night air rose. It was chilly outside, but the air was clean and no one was around. Lily conjured the girl another tissue. Adelyn Black kicked at a patch of grass as they sat on the bench outside of the castle doors.

"And…and…I haven't seen him for a long time. Since I was three or four. That's when Mummy died…And Sirius ran away. And I didn't see him until now**,**" Adelyn said, a fresh wave of tears sweeping over her.

"And where have you been living, Adelyn?" Lily asked, silently in awe of the strength in this girl.

"An orphanage…and then I got kicked out when the owl came. I wandered around for a while until an old witch led me to Diagon Alley. Tom let me stay in the Leaky Cauldron for free, and they gave me a few galleons to buy my school stuff." Adelyn sighed. Lily noted that she should thank Tom next time she was in there. 

"Well, why do you think…um…I mean, why did Sirius act that way tonight?" Lily asked. Adelyn shrugged. Suddenly, the girl turned to Lily.

"Is Slytherin a bad thing? Everyone seemed shocked. I mean I know Sirius is in Gryffindor, but what's the difference?" Adelyn looked genuinely concerned, and Lily had a hard time phrasing a truth. Not _the_ truth, but _a _truth.

"Well…each house has a different type of people. Most of the time, siblings are put in the same houses. I guessed everyone was…._surprised_ that you were put in Slytherin. So…yeah." Lily skirted the real reason why everyone was surprised. "So, what do you think your favorite classes will be, Adelyn?" Lily asked, changing the subject.

"I don't know…the only class I know about is Charms. Some boys on the train kept making fun of the teacher. And…Transfiguration. We have a book about that. What else is there?" Adelyn asked. Lily laughed.

"Well, there's Flying…you only have to take that this year. And there's Herbology. You get to mess with weird plants in there. And Defense Against the Dark Arts. And…History of Magic. That's boring. And some that you can't start until third year like Divination and Care of Magical Creatures." Lily squished up her nose. "And there's Potions."

"Fun!" Adelyn said excitedly.

"No…Potions is awful."

"Oh. Well, everything else will be fun."

"If you say so…"

The man paced back and forth, waiting for his Master to arrive. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. How could he tell his Master the search had been futile so far? His Master would expect results. Finally, the man decided to sit. Pulling up a stool, he sat in front of the fire and warmed his hands.

The door banged open and in walked the Master in a cascade of robes. There was a very definite determination in his pace, and he stopped in front of the man. The man jumped up, startled, knocking the stool aside and causing the fire to crackle.

"Master**,**" The man said, bowing his head.

"Cut the formalities and give me your report."

"We've searched all of London. Nothing's turned up**,**" The man said, stumbling through his words. He ran a hand through his thinning hair nervously.

"Well, then it's obviously not _in _London, now is it?" The Master said, sitting in his armchair and kicking his feet up onto the discarded stool. "You'll have to search further. The artifact is highly important."

"We will search, My Lord. What use is the artifact, anyway?" The man asked, regretting the question as soon as he asked it.

"Grave digging. Grave digging." 

~*~

Author's Note: Well, there's another chapter. Questions? Comments? Speculations? Where on earth is Jen? I think she's hiding in plain site. I promised I'd explain the footsteps, and your hint is in here. I promise. O_o  Hmm…I wonder if Liane and Callie will be able to pull off their task. Ideas? Suggestions? Next chapter: The Fat Lady gets drunk, Sirius opens his trunk,/ Owls get sent home, someone plays with a gnome,/ Someone peers into a cup, and something blows up. James gets mail/ Liane will fail, Arnold's head will swell and all will be well! 

This chapter is dedicated to Britz, who is a wonderful last minute beta-reader. Thank you, chica! Peace, all. Be loverly and review, won't you? 


	3. Of Anger, Drunken paintings, and Potions...

Indigo Fire* 

_SilverPhoenixWings_

The Haunted Place 

And all with pearl and ruby glowing  
Was the fair palace door,  
Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,  
And sparkling evermore,  
A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty  
Was but to sing,  
In voices of surpassing beauty,  
The wit and wisdom of their king.

Of Anger, Drunken paintings, and Potions class 

"Shut up, will you? Honestly, the way you gab on, people would think you were insane or something," Callie snapped, whispering harshly at Liane. Ignoring her friend's incessant talking, she peered back around the corner. No one was in sight.

"Come on, Callie, the feast won't be ending for at least another twenty minutes," Liane reasoned rather loudly, receiving another death glare from Callie. Liane sighed. "Just go already!"

Callie turned the corner and walked the last corridor to come face-to-face with the Fat Lady. Liane stopped behind her. The shorter girl stepped out besides her, looking up at the Fat Lady.

"You've got a way for us to get in, right?" Liane asked. Callie shrugged. They hadn't _really_ thought of that, but it would be a bit suspicious if they were missing. After all, they hadn't been excused. They would have to return to the Great Hall as soon as their job was done. 

"Password?" The Fat Lady asked, stirring a bit. She was looking very dignified tonight, as if to impress the first years.

"Actually, we came to tell you that someone has requested your presence in the painting outside of the Winery," Callie said sweetly.

"We have a Win-" Liane started in disbelief**,** until Callie kicked her hard.

"I see," The Fat Lady said, looking at her with a disapproving eye. "And what are you doing away from the feast?" 

"We were just taking a walk when some lady told us to get you," Liane covered quickly, quite proud of herself. Callie nodded. 

"Alright, I suppose. When does the feast end?" The Fat Lady inquired, stirring a bit. Callie bit her lip and looked at Liane. Liane tapped her wrist three times.

"In about half an hour," Callie lied, catching Liane's signal. Half an hour was enough time to get drunk, right? She really didn't know. All she knew was that James and Sirius had to get their act together, and fast.

"Can we get in first, please?" Liane asked. Callie gulped. She didn't have the slightest idea what the password was. But the prefects got to make them up, so…She thought quickly.

"Password?" The Fat Lady asked. Callie glanced at Liane, who had gone even paler than her usual skin tone. 

"Frazzleberry." Callie chimed, sensing Liane's face go red and jaw drop beside her. Surprisingly, the Fat Lady swung open. After the portrait hole closed, they listened for her to walk out of the painting. They heard very muffled footsteps.

In a moment, Liane blew up.

"I'm going to KILL JAMES MAGNUS POTTER!" Liane screamed. Callie giggled.

"His middle name is Harold, dear," Callie said, laughing and crawling out into the common room. It was vacant, save several empty Butterbeer bottles. 

"Yes, but Magnus sounds so much better," Liane said, trying to hold onto her anger. In a minute, all of it had dissipated. She too crawled out into the Common Room. 

Callie had already started picking up Butterbeer bottles and putting the pillows back onto the couches. Liane joined in, and in a few minutes, the Common Room looked as good as it had at the beginning of the day. Callie shrunk the bottles and left them in a dumbwaiter that was hidden behind a portrait of Alfred Gryffindor, the famed Godric's grandson. 

"Alright…we have to get back to the Hall," Callie said, collapsing on the couch. Liane joined her.

"Yeah…we've got to get…back…" Liane felt the exhaustion of the day sweep over her. "We'd better get going…the feast will be over in a few minutes…"

"Right…going…" Callie sighed, letting her head roll back onto a pillow.

"On my way…" Liane said slowly.

James looked at Sirius, passed out on his bed. The Butterbeer _had_ made him drunk, after all. Sirius was sucking his thumb. Actually, his thumb was just sort of sitting in his mouth. James suspected he was too tired to do much else. 

"Padfoot, get up," James said after a few minutes. Sirius shifted a bit and was now lying on his back. James went to the bathroom and returned with a cup of water, which he threw on Sirius.

"Ack." Sirius said, spitting water out of his nose. He wasn't moving, but his eyes were open. He rolled over and looked at the window. "It's cold in here."

"No sh*t, Sirius. You're drunk. You need air," James said. Sirius shook his head.

"I'm not drunk. Trust me. I would know," he muttered quietly, rolling over once more and landing on the floor. "See? If I were drunk, that wouldn't have hurt."

"Padfoot, the girls saved your butt. The least you could do would be to wake up and walk around a bit. It'll do you some good," James said, rubbing his temples. 

"Jamsie boy, those girls are real dolls." Sirius laughed. James raised an eyebrow.

"And if they heard you talking about them like that, they'd beat you upside the head with a cauldron." James snorted. Sirius wobbled around for a bit, but seemed to gain his balance back.

"Well, whatever. I have something to show you." Sirius said, walking to the end of his bed, where his trunk had been placed. James backed up onto his bed.

"Oh no…last time you wanted to show me something, you ended up with a mushroom for a haircut," James said, remembering this incident. Some Hair-Care charm Sirius had learned from a vanity magazine.

"This is different," Sirius protested, standing about a foot away from his trunk and pointing his wand at the lock. "Oofsbloofsfoot!" he said loudly. The trunk remained unaltered. "Ooglesboogles!" The trunk twinkled in the light of the room. "Third time's a charm, right Jamsie? Obblesgobbles!"

"Yep…third time's a charm," James said, holding in laughter.

"D*mmit!" Sirius said, kicking his trunk hard. The lid sprang open. "See? There ya have it. The ol' Sirius touch." Sirius beamed.

"You have _serious_ problems," James declared.

"Just shut up for a minute." Sirius said, digging through his trunk. He withdrew an old, tattered looking notebook and tossed it to James. Inside, James found pictures. Lots of picture. A couple who must have been Sirius' parents (the picture had been torn into pieces and Spell-o-taped back together.), a picture of Sirius with his first kitten, and so on. James saw pictures from all their years at Hogwarts, all waving and cheerful. He saw a picture of Sirius and Emily waving merrily, back before she was a ghost. James remembered the time Lily had won the Charms contest, and the day that Callie got Aisling. 

"Wow…" James muttered, continuing to flip pages. In the very back were pictures of Sirius when he was about eight. He was holding hands with a very small girl with shiny black hair. She was smiling happily. "Is this Adelyn?" James asked stupidly. Of course it was Adelyn. Sirius' silence answered his question.

The next page shocked James to no end. It was a picture of a _very_ pretty girl, smiling and waving. However, James didn't know her. He goggled at her. There was some sort of radiance about her. The same sort of purity that Lily had. It was in her eyes, he knew. They was a very pale blue, but very acute in their color.

"Who _is _this?" James asked, amazed. Sirius blushed.

"Some chick…she was mentioned in our History of Magic book. Apparently, she was in love with Slytherin or something. VonBluggen or something. I don't know. Anyway, the book said she was beautiful. So…" Sirius smirked.

"So you checked," James finished for him. Sirius nodded. "You're weird." Sirius shrugged and flopped on his bed. James couldn't stop staring at the picture. Something about the girl struck him as odd, even though she was long past dead.

Callie awoke with a start as the Portrait hole swung open. She slapped Liane accidentally as she jumped up. "Oh sh*t!" Callie whispered under her breath. In front of her stood Remus, and a load of Gryffindor first years.

"Wha-" Liane muttered, waking up. Her eyes widened as she saw the horde of first years. She shut her mouth and stood up beside Callie. Remus flushed. Liane thought how it would feel to be in his place. The Sorting Feast was required for all students to attend. They had not been dismissed, and no one knew where they were. The question was…where was the Fat Lady? _I mean, _thought Liane, _where _isn't_ she_?

"Callie?" Remus asked. His eyes floated to Liane. He coughed and turned around, looking at the first years. Most of the other students would wander up later. "You may go to your rooms. Boys up that staircase and girls are up that one," he directed, pointing. Most of them scuttled off without remark. Remus turned back to the girls.

"Well," Liane laughed hollowly, "I'd better be off…Merlin knows you wants some time alone." She started to walk towards the staircase.

"Not so fast." Remus said sternly.

"Aw crap, we're in trouble, aren't we?" Liane asked, spinning back around. Remus nodded.

"Tell me why our portrait guard is drunk out of her acrylic head!" Remus demanded, starting to pace. Callie glanced at Liane sideways.

"Because she's irresponsible and addicted to alcohol?" Liane dared. Remus' look shot daggers at her. "Fine…because we told her to go away for a while." Liane looked at her feet, which seemed to be digging into the rug at a rapid pace.

"What in Merlin's name provoked you to leave the feast, send our guard away, and pass out on the couch to be the first thing the first years saw when they ENTERED THE COMMON ROOM?" Remus yelled. Callie backed up a bit. Then, she stood her ground and yelled back.

"Would you rather have had them see a Gryffindor Prefect and his best friend amidst a slew of empty Butterbeer bottles, the latter drunk off his butt?" Callie glared at Remus as though he had no right to question her.

"You broke the rules, Callie," Remus said softly. "You broke the rules." Liane sighed. 

"You would have done the same thing," Callie whispered.

"No, I'm a Prefect," Remus said. Callie thought about screaming, but refrained.

"Remus, you know I'll take the punishment. Stop with the guilt trip, okay? I don't feel bad. I won't feel bad. I was protecting my friends. Just do whatever you have to do and go check on Sirius," Callie told him, backing away from him.

"Fine. I'm putting you on Sirius duty until Christmas," Remus told them. Liane muttered something to herself. "Just watch him and keep him from doing anything like this again. You know James won't." Remus smiled slightly and stepped toward her, kissing her on the cheek. He ran up the stairs to go check on Sirius. 

"We got off easy." Liane remarked, watching him go. Callie frowned and started towards the girls' staircase. "What's wrong, Callie?"

"Is it going to be like that all year?" Callie inquired, climbing the steps. "Am I going to _always_ be yelled at by one of our friends…I mean, it's insane. I should not have to be yelled at by my boyfriend." 

"Maybe not," Liane said, opening their door. The room only had four beds now. Emily lived in a different part of the Gryffindor tower. Callie sighed and flopped on her bed.

"Liane, you're such a Frazzleberry."

"Come on, Adelyn, we'd better go inside." Lily said, after talking to the first year for about an hour. The air was getting chilly, and the lights in the Great Hall had gone out. Lily stood up.

"Alright…but I don't know where I'm supposed to go," Adelyn said, sounding slightly worried. Lily helped the girl up, and they started for the steps.

"It's alright, we're going to find a Prefect," Lily told her. "A prefect will know the password to your Common Room. Not to mention how to get there." Lily had a small idea of where the Slytherin house was, as James had pointed it out once, but Lily didn't remember it well enough to lead the girl there.

"All my housemates are going to hate me. I embarrassed everyone," Adelyn said, sighing. She slipped in the castle and coughed, sending a cloud of mist into the air. It soon dissipated as she warmed.

"No they won't. It's Slytherin pride at stake. They won't hate you," Lily assured her. Lily poked her head into the Great Hall, to find it almost empty. Just as she did so, she collided with someone.

"D*mn!" A voice said, muttering more curses under his breath. Lily stumbled backwards but caught herself, looking to see the person. It was Severus Snape. "Evans, do you _ever_ watch where you're going?" Snape demanded, crossing his arms.

"Snape, please…all I want to do is find a Slytherin prefect," Lily said, bringing Adelyn to her side. Snape's lip snarled into a sneer.

"Well, well. Good thing I'm here, then." Snape said**,** his Prefect badge catching the light. Lily groaned inwardly. It would go to reason. She rolled her eyes slightly.

"Just take her to the Common Room, please." Lily said through slightly gritted teeth.

"No can do. She's in trouble, don't you see. Skipping the feast and all. I suspect Professor Gritmer will be issuing a detention," Snape leered.

"Why you bloody, no-good, slimy GIT!" Lily screamed, pulling out her wand and holding it up, threateningly. Her eyes were full of anger. Adelyn had slipped back behind her.

"Ms. Evans, I believe you might get detention too if your actions get the best of you," Snape said calmly, not even worried that Lily might singe off his greasy hair.

"I believe I will take detention if you don't take her back quietly. You know full well that I took her out of that Hall. I have that right, Severus Snape." Lily spat his name. "And if you have any compassion in your foul body, you will leave this girl be. You will take her to the Common Room and let her GO TO BED!" Lily yelled. Snape didn't move, but clearly he was intimidated.

"Ms. Evans, I will not report her. However, I will be watching her. If she sets one foot out of line, Gritmer will have her head before you can say 'Potions Master.'" Snape growled and looked Adelyn over. Lily glared at his retreating back as he led the girl down the corridor.

Emily hated being a ghost. She hated living with the other ghosts. She would much rather prefer to live with her friends, but she lived here. Emily particularly disliked Nick, because he was constantly whining about some such prank that her friends had pulled.

Being a ghost was dreary. Emily had decided this early on. All the other ghosts ever talked about here was how they felt when they had been alive. Emily, of course, remembered being alive all too well. She didn't care to remind herself that she couldn't do the things she used to be able to do.

Ironically, Emily had found a friend in Myrtle. Myrtle was about her age, even though she had seen many more years than Emily had. Myrtle was easy to talk to, and showed her all of the cool places that only ghosts could get to. Emily actually saw a side of Myrtle that not many saw: a cheerful one.

"And then, those boys got drunk! Can you imagine? A prefect getting _drunk_?" A ghost told Nick. Nick furled his brow in thought.

"James Potter?"

The other ghost nodded.

"And that Black boy?" Nick asked. Again, his suspicions were confirmed. A knot formed in Emily's stomach. She slipped out the door and hurried to the Common Room. Sirius needed her.

Then, Emily stopped suddenly. She looked around. What was she doing? She had dumped Sirius, more or less. _Be strong, Emily_. She told herself. _Running to him won't help you now._

Against her better instincts, Emily turned back to the room and slipped back inside. The ghosts were chatting merrily and playing a game of cards. Emily sighed and found a window, grabbing her favorite book to read. She had read it seven times that summer. 

As Remus lay in bed that night, he reflected on how distant all of his friends seemed. James was busy comforting Sirius, and Callie and Liane were busy causing trouble. Somehow, Remus felt that Callie was subconsciously trying to make his Prefectness Hell. He couldn't stay mad at her, but was semi-annoyed. She shouldn't do things like that out of jealously.

Lily…he hadn't seen Lily since earlier that evening. He didn't have any idea where she was, although she was probably alright. Somehow, Remus felt sorry for her. She was so far from James' mind at the moment. And lastly…Jen. He hadn't seen Jen at the feast. She was one person he was worried about. Remus felt as though the group was pushing her away. Her best friend had died, and that had changed everything. The word echoed in his mind. _Died._ Emily was so different now. Remus laughed softly. On second thought, it was probably the group that had changed, not Emily.

Remus thought he'd probably be spending a lot of time with Peter during the next few days. After that, he realized, he wouldn't need anything else on his mind. Remus looked over at the window. Outside, the moon was swelling.

Jen entered the Common Room to find it deserted, a rare occasion. It was late, however. She snuck up the girls' staircase and opened the door slightly to her room. Everyone was asleep. Jen closed the door as she entered, making sure she made no sound. Sighing, she turned down her covers and opened her trunk. Grabbing her pajamas, Jen slipped out of the room to head to the bathroom. 

Inside the bathroom, Jen turned on a shower and took of her clothes, basking in the hot water. Just as she lathered up her hair, she opened her eyes to find Emily floating in front of her.

"D*mmit!" Jen cursed, as soap dripped into her eyes. She wiped it away and saw Emily, sitting on top of the shower stall. "What the h*ll are you doing here, Emily?" Jen said, bringing her voice down to a harsh whisper.

"Where have you been?" Emily demanded, as if she was perfectly within her rights to interrogate Jen as she showered. 

"None of your business," Jen muttered. Instantly, she regretted it. Emily looked sincerely hurt, and sighed deeply. "I mean…I don't want to talk about it." Jen closed her eyes to wash out the shampoo, and when she looked back up, Emily was gone.

Cursing softly, Jen finished her shower and pulled a towel around her. She had been too harsh, she reflected as she pulled on her pajamas. She had no right to speak to Emily that way. But what right did Emily have to give her the third degree? None.

The next morning, the Great Hall was booming with activity. Lily sat down at the Gryffindor table and said "Eggs" cheerfully into her plate. Instantly, her favorite eggs, scrambled eggs with cheese, appeared. Lily pulled her goblet up to her mouth and almost dropped it.

The water inside flashed a blinding green light, and a scream was emitted that Lily was sure even the Slytherins in their dungeons could hear. She yelped and quickly put her goblet down, shaking.

"Lily? What's wrong?" James asked, sitting to her left and slipping his arm around her. He looked around. "What happened?" 

"Didn't you hear that?" Lily asked, looking worried. "The scream?"

"I didn't hear anything**,**" James said as French toast appeared on his plate. He ate it hungrily and Lily turned back to her eggs. She didn't have much of an appetite. Just then, the post came.

"Oof," Sirius said as a letter hit his head. He turned over the envelope and handed it to James. In violet scrawl, the name _James Potter_ was printed on it. "Mail, Jamsie-boy**,**" Sirius said, laughing.

"Oh gosh…" James said, trailing off. He held the envelope at arms length and tore it open. Lily giggled. Pulling out a piece of purple parchment, he whimpered. "No…no…no…"

"Who's it from?" Lily asked, propping her chin up on her elbows in unspoken amusement.

"Miss Gab-ri-elle." Sirius taunted.

"Dear James," James read. "I miss you dearly. The Academy feels so empty with you to cheer things up. I comfort myself with knowing you'll be here in a couple years. Ya ta ya ta and so on and so on. Blah blah blah, love Gabby." James sighed and collapsed onto Lily's shoulder.

"Who is Gabrielle?" Lily asked, raising her eyebrow. Sirius went into fits of coughing. Lily nudged James.

"She's an older girl James knew. She graduated last year**,**" Sirius filled in. Lily glared at him.

"James? Why is she writing you letters?" Lily asked pointedly.

"Because she had a bit of a crush on me," James admitted grudgingly. He crumpled up Gabrielle's letter and set fire to it with his wand. It was a nice gesture, but Lily wasn't comforted. 

That morning, the Gryffindors had Potions with the Hufflepuffs, much to Liane's dismay. She seated herself beside Callie, quite distanced from Arnold. James and Sirius walked toward the same table, and Professor Gritmer stopped them immediately. He placed James next to Jen, and Sirius next to Peter. Remus sat with Lily. Emily sat in the back, not saying much. She had lost an energy that she had once had, and her ghost form wasn't improving things.  

As Professor Gritmer began to instruct the students, Liane scrawled out a note to Callie. She slid it to her when Gritmer's back was turned.

_I feel so bad for him…I've been so mean to him, and after everything he's been through. Besides, you know how Emily feels about him. She won't let on to the truth, though. _

Callie's response came quickly.

_Oh meus deus, Liane…do you actually *like* the guy?_

Liane was about to respond when a draft came through the high windows and swept the note from her desk and across the room. It landed in front of Arnold. Liane began to bang her head on the table as he read the note. Now everyone would know…

Callie turned quickly, and saw that Arnold stared, wide-eyed, at the note. He quickly wrote something down and zoomed it back to their table. Callie snatched it before Liane could, and read it. 

_Liane, why didn't you tell me?_

Callie broke into hysterics and burned the note quickly before Gritmer came over. The professor stared at her and raised an eyebrow. 

"Miss O'Reilly, you have earned yourself a detention. Tonight at 8 o'clock." Gritmer swept back to the front of the room. Callie flushed and heard James and Sirius snickering. Secretly, she knew that they were jealous because she had received a detention before they had.

By the end of the class, however, many students had detention. James and Sirius managed a detention for spiking one of the Hufflepuffs' Pepper-Up Potions. Liane had earned a detention for almost killing J'Aime Glasswater. J'Aime had accidentally spilt a bit of her potion on Liane's notes when her cauldron had exploded, and Liane was in no forgiving mood. Jen had received detention for shattering a vial- surprising to the Marauders. Jen hardly ever dropped things. Arnold got detention for passing another note, which had been intercepted and thrown away by Gritmer.  

After Potions, Jen slipped out of the classroom and away from her friends. She was being distant, she knew. The word kept floating in her mind. Distant. She wasn't trying to be distant, but if they knew what she was trying to achieve…if they only knew.

Jen walked through the dungeon corridors and finally found the empty classroom she was looking for. She slipped open the door and let it click shut behind her. Jen looked around the room. It hadn't been used for many years, but the smell of various potions was still evident. She stepped slowly alongside a desk and slipped into it, looking at the empty blackboard. It was dark in the room, but her eyes had already adjusted. There was only a gray sliver of light coming from a slit-window high up on the wall.

Swallowing, Jen stared hard at the blackboard. The dust in the room made her eyes water, but her gaze was unmoving. A discarded piece of chalk lifted from the tray and moved across the board in a neat script.

_Jennifer Fitzpatrick, come to me._

Jen's eyes snapped open, and she had been unaware that they had closed. She glanced up at the blackboard. It was empty. Quickly grabbing her bag, Jen got up hastily and hurried to the door. She pulled it open and slipped out of the room, running down the corridors without ever hearing the door slam.

Liane sat down at the Gryffindor table, utterly mortified and trying to avoid the stares and snickers from the Hufflepuff table. She pushed James out of her seat and laughed as he mocked being hurt.

"Anyway, Gritmer said we had to clean cauldrons. Not that bad, I suppose," Callie said, shrugging and passing Liane the mints. Liane took one gratefully. She always went for the mints first. It was a bit of a strange habit, but that made no difference.

"Yuck. I'm glad I didn't get detention." Remus said, clasping Callie's hand and taking a bite of broccoli with the other. 

"Oh, you're just afraid of ruining your perf-" James stopped mid-sentence as a figure in the door caught his attention. It was Jen. Liane's eyes widened and she dropped her fork. Jen made her way to the Gryffindor table with evident hesitation. 

"Hey, guys," Jen said softly, taking a seat next to Lily. Everyone looked at her oddly, before Lily finally spoke up.

"Hey, Jen. How're things?" Lily gave everyone else a look that clearly said that they'd better not mention Jen's absence or else. Sirius coughed, and James bit his lip. Jen looked around.

"Good, I suppose. Liane, what was that whole thing about in Potions?" Jen asked, taking a sip of water. It was like talking to strangers, she mused. She had missed so much in the couple days she hadn't seen them. Liane paled, and occupied herself with finding her favorite quill. "Liane?"

Liane sat up, caught. She glanced at Callie, who was smiling impishly. Liane bit her lip and groaned inwardly. On the spot, with no moral support. Callie laughed and prodded her.

"Yeah, Liane…what was that whole bit about?" Callie asked tauntingly. Liane glared daggers at her.

"It was just a note, Jen. No big deal." Liane waved off the thought, but knew that she had hesitated a bit too long. Her friends would surely tease her…

"Oh," Jen said, looking a bit hurt. She glanced around. Liane could tell that Jen felt uneasy, but why shouldn't she? She had basically abandoned them! And for two whole days!  

Herbology passed by painlessly. James and Sirius found a gnome hiding behind a feathery blue plant and decided to have a bit of fun. When Lily's back was turned, they taught the gnome an Irish jig. As soon as Sprout dismissed them, the group ran out onto the lawns, glad that their first day was over.

Sirius tripped Liane almost immediately, sending her sprawling into Arnold. He was already sitting on the lawns after his Arithmancy class, and Callie nearly died laughing. In fact, everyone was laughing. Liane quickly pulled herself to her feet and apologized for landing in Arnold's lap. Almost immediately after getting up, she sprinted after Sirius.

"Lily? Are you writing home already?" James asked, sitting on the grass next to her. She nodded, and knitted her brow in thought. She whispered to her quill and continued to write. James had learned long ago not to question Lily. She was possibly the smartest witch in their year, and thought in a very abstract way. She saw all things as beautiful, and James couldn't help but admire that.

Peter and Remus were arguing over a chess game, and Callie was playing referee. Her dismay at Remus from last night had been short-lived, and all seemed peaceful. Even Jen seemed to be blending back in again. She smiled as Emily told her all about the pillow fight that she had missed.

"Hey you guys?" Jen asked, about a half an hour later. "Where's Liane?" It was true, they noticed. Neither Liane nor Sirius had come back. Instantly, all seven teenage minds present assumed the worst. Remus pulled a piece of parchment out of his robes and burst into hysterics.

"Behind…the…." Remus gasped for air. "Greenhouses…"

~*~

Author's Note: First of all, get your minds out of the gutter! Thank you. It's not what's rolling through your heads right now. ^_^ This chapter is dedicated to Kjersti, or aurora borealis, for her birthday. She's the bestest penpal ever! Also, to my friend Nella. Her birthday is today! 9/29. Happy Birthday to both of my girlies!  
I'd like to thank Britz for her quick work with this chapter. Keep your eyes peeled for her new story, A Façade of Evil. I've seen the prologue and the first chapter and it promises to be AWESOME.   
Now that the public announcements are out of the way, I want you to ponder this chapter. We see a drastic change in Emily, and a bit of her life now. Also, Jen makes various appearances. For those of you reading the Draco Series, Jen's disappearances have nothing to do with what you're thinking. So...yeah. I want to know any theories you guys have, because I seriously enjoy reading them. Also, I'm reinstating my old policy- If you review my story, I'll review yours. Thanks!   
"The Haunted Place" is by Edgar Allen Poe. 


End file.
